Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Kiva

I mentioned Kiva in my last post and thought I'd showcase it a bit more here, as I think it's an amazing initiative.

The premise of Kiva is that individuals can lend money to entrepreneurs in developing countries who need loans to finance their business. You can choose reputable groups to go through, and even search for what sort of people you'd like to invest in (male or female), where they live and their industry.

I chose a woman in Cambodia who weaves silk and a group loan in Pakistan of some women who are all starting their own business.

You can opt to receive emails about the progress of your entrepreneur, and at the end of your loan term, you can get your money back, or choose to re-invest the money into the program to another entrepreneur. There is a warning on the website that some entrepreneurs do default on their loans, but if that's the case, I will simply think of this as a donation.

Have a look at the website - you can't help but to be moved by the stories of these people, and I feel really positive for even having helped these women along on their journey.**I should note I have no affiliation with Kiva, other than occasionally lending money through them to entrepreneurs. I receive no special kick-back for having mentioned them here, in money, in kind or in paper goods. I just think more people should know about them.